Waynesville finally moving forward with new fire station in Hazelwood

Mar. 6—Nearly three years after Waynesville bought land for a new fire station in Hazelwood, the town leaders are taking initial steps to launch the estimated $4 million project.

The Waynesville Town Council discussed allocating money for design and engineering services for the new fire station at their annual retreat last week. The town purchased a 3.3-acre tract of land for $400,000 in July 2021, but hadn't officially moved forward with construction planning.

Town leaders have said for some time a new Hazelwood Fire Station is needed because the existing one is outdated and space crunched, lacking adequate bunk and locker room facilities. The new proposed station would be around 12,600-square feet in size and would feature three apparatus bays, a living area and equipment storage areas.

The entire project is currently estimated at $4.5 million, which includes the $400,000 already spent for the purchase of the land. The town will need to take out an estimated $4 million loan to finance the rest of the project, Town Manager Rob Hites said. told the town council.

"It's a very, very rough estimate of what [the Hazelwood Fire Station] will cost," Hites said.

The loan payment would be around $413,000 a year for 15 years — the equivalent of 2.5 cents on the property tax rate, Hites estimated.

Finance Director Misty Hagood said the money for design work could come out the town's general fund next fiscal year, and once the loan is secured the general fund would be reimbursed. The town is currently looking at seeking a loan in the 2025-26 fiscal year.

The tract, located off Hazelwood Avenue across from Haywood Urgent Care, is known as the old tannery site. It had been vacant for years prior to the purchase by the town. Finding a tract that was both large enough and had quick access to major thoroughfares was a drawn-out process before the town settled on the site.

Flagship fire station

The town council is also discussing spending around $840,000 to renovate the main Waynesville Fire Station on North Main Street. That project could include adding up to six new bedrooms and two new restrooms. The station currently only has two bunking spaces.

Building additional living quarters at the station could include adding around a 1,500-square foot space to the building or turning a training room into living quarters.

An estimated $840,000 loan for the proposed project would result in yearly payments of $76,610 over 15 years. Its impact would the tax equivalent of a half cent.

When the station was built, plans called for six bedrooms, but four were cut as a cost-saving measure during construction.

"There is no reason why that should have two bunks," Hites said. "It was built as a volunteer station where you have a driver and an engineer and nobody else in the station."

Fire Chief Joey Webb said adding the additional bedrooms and restroom facilities at Waynesville's flagship fire station is a priority for the department.

The town's fire department responded to 3,423 incidents in 2023, a 7.8% increase from 2022.

"The guys right now are willing to do anything to get additional (living) space," Webb said. "They are taxed pretty tight right now."

Hites suggested designing and bidding the two projects together.

"It will take a year to build [the Hazelwood Fire Station]," Hites said. "These are pretty simple stations structurally."

Hites also told councilors that using a North Carolina-based architectural firm would probably save the town money.

"There are a number of North Carolina companies that have built five, 10, 15 fire stations locally," Hites said. "They are more responsive to staff and they have less overhead."

He suggested that a set lump sum contract be set for design services instead of a percentage fee that is tied to the cost of the overall project.

"I have really strong feelings (against) bringing in nationally known architects that want to charge 15 to 20%," Hites said.

The town has asked state Sen. Kevin Corbin and state Rep. Mark Pless to seek state appropriations for the fire department projects, as well as other capital needs.